In past years, second year students on the university's highly-regarded degrees - covering Fine Art Painting, Fine Art Printmaking, Moving Image, Fine Art Sculpture and Photography - have staged an annual winter show. The Technical Team had already prepared the university's exhibition space in the Edward Street building in Brighton for the 2021 show, when the December lockdown hit.
In response, the painting students have come together to create their own online gallery for an exhibition, entitled Kenopsia. The show will go live on 19 February, then run until 3 March. Work from all the artists can be viewed on the blog.
Tamara Klüver one of the key student organisers of the show, said: “The collection of works was a way to bring all of our separate working practises back together and to keep ourselves connected in an isolating time.”
Tamara Klüver one of the organisers of the painting show, said: “The collection of works was a way to bring all of our separate working practises back together and to keep ourselves connected in an isolating time.”
“It was unfortunate to suddenly switch from a physical show to a digital one. However, we hope to benefit from reaching a potential wider online audience as there are no physical boundaries, as well as being updated on what other classmates are working on at the moment. After lockdown this could be a new and perhaps more accessible way to show work alongside a physical show, which we hope to do once it is safe."
Amanda Bright, Dean of the School of Art and Media, said: “The work is uplifting, and the students’ determination and perseverance to produce it despite all the practical challenges of not being able to work on site since the beginning of December is inspiring.”
Art and design at Brighton is ranked in the top 13 in the UK and in the top 100 globally by the QS World University Rankings 2020.